PowerBI Workspaces

[pokesfan_72]

I am sure that this has been asked a few times, and while I am searching for solutions, I thought that I would post this scenario/question here, looking for comments/solutions/how you are doing things similar/etc.

We have different Business groups creating PowerBI reports/dashboards for their end consumers.

We (as in the company's IT group) are trying to "reel" in the creation of reports/dashboards and create a deployment workflow that we can share with leadership. To stop the "Wild West" type of approach to Business users.

With different groups "developing" PowerBI reports/dashboards, what is the process that you and your company use? We have thought about incorporating each Business Group their own PowerBI workspace to work with, then have a consolidated workspace, then have each PowerBI developer check in/out their PowerBI "code" into a code management solution (similar to TFS or ADO), then have a "TEST" environment, once the PowerBI "code" is "blessed", promote it to a "PROD" environment for consumers to use (view reports/dashboards, etc).

Is this the correct way of thinking?

How are you and your company working similar to this process now? And, is it successful, what would you update?

Thank you

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @pokesfan_72 

We wanted to follow up to check if you’ve had an opportunity to review the previous responses. If you require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

[pokesfan_72]

Yes

I originally posted, asking how others have configured their systems in the workplaces they are located.  The one post asked what our intent is, and that does not provide the needed assistance.

To answer that question, we are trying to allow external (non-IT) groups to continue interviewing SMEs and creating PowerBI reports/dashboards, but want to develop a process where PowerBI "code" is managed, so that we (IT) knows what has been developed and what IT may support going forward.

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @pokesfan_72 

Thank you for the clarification.

A common approach is to allow business groups to continue gathering requirements from SMEs and developing reports in their own development workspaces, while implementing controls such as source control, deployment pipelines, workspace standards, and documented ownership. This gives IT visibility into what has been developed, who owns it, and what content is considered supported in production.

In many organizations, IT's role is focused on governance, platform administration, security, and production support, while business teams retain responsibility for report development and business validation. Content that is promoted to production typically follows a defined review and deployment process, ensuring that only approved and supportable solutions become part of the organization's supported reporting portfolio.

This model generally provides a good balance between enabling business  innovation and maintaining the governance, supportability and lifecycle management that IT requires.

References : Power BI implementation planning: Develop content and manage changes - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Workspaces in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Hope this helps !!

Thank You.

[lbendlin]

Power BI started as a way to circumvent your setup, targeting "citizen developers"  that were unbound from the shackles of rigid IT processes.

What exactly are you trying to "reel"? You want to make it harder for business users to get to their insights?

Note that workspaces, reports and dashboards by themselves have no cost.   Cost is created by running refreshes or running queries against semantic models, for example.

Controlling cost is a valid objective. Maybe you can shift your focus to that? (Hint: Multiple environments means potential for multiple costs)